Lakers vs. Nets Preseason Opener: Three Things to Watch For
Art by dayxsleep/IG: @dayxsleep
In what looks to be a potential NBA Finals preview. The Brooklyn Nets take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the STAPLES CENTER on Sunday, October 3rd at 12:30 PM PST.
Both teams coming off playoff eliminations and struggles with injuries, enter the 2021-2022 NBA season as the odds on favorite to come out of the Eastern and Western Conference. On paper, both the Nets and Lakers are loaded with a big three, veterans, and overall talent. However, with this game being in the preseason, you won’t see much from the Lakers and Nets. Most likely lineup experimentations, position battles, and the players building chemistry.
Here are three things to watch for during this preseason opener.
Battle of the Big Three’s
Assuming the Nets big three (Durant, Irving, and Harden) and the Lakers big three (LeBron, AD, and Westbrook) play this preseason opener, fans can expect not necessarily a battle but a least a great preview of what is come this season. The Nets big three when healthy is a dominant trio, that can not only shoot lights out from anywhere on the court but are elite playmakers who can make any possession a spectacle. The Lakers big three although going into their first year together will likely showcase their elite passing, playmaking, and athleticism. Something the rim should be anxious about with LeBron and Westbrook aiming to throw down insane rim-rattling dunks while AD towers over defenders for those alley-oops.
2. Starting Lineups and Bench Units
Throughout the offseason, fans on social media have been debating or creating their projected lineups for both teams. Now that training camp has commenced and players are beginning to compete for a position in the starting lineup. The Lakers and Nets depending on who plays or not this game will not decide their actual starters until opening night. However, what will be interesting is the lineups, Frank Vogel and Steve Nash will create. For Vogel, his focus will be on who the starting shooting guard and center will be. With names like Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington, and THT to Dwight, DeAndre, or AD; those are players you should watch not only in this game but the rest of the preseason moving forward.
For Nash, as the Nets switched to a much smaller lineup in the postseason, it will be intriguing to see whether the Nets go big or small versus the Lakers. Assuming they go big, you need to look at Paul Millsap, Blake Griffin, Nicolas Claxton, and maybe LaMarcus Aldridge as potential starters. If the Nets were to go small, those same names apply but I would focus much more on Millsap, Griffin, Aldridge, or even KD at the center.
3. It’s the PRESEASON!
Image via Fadeawayworld.net
After Sunday’s game there for sure will be NBA fans, Laker fans, Nets fans, and troll accounts in general that will overreact and use this game to determine how the Lakers and Nets will be this season. My advice is to take this game with a grain of salt, and not overreact. This is a preseason opener in which the Lakers and Nets will not be in season form and will likely treat this as a warm-up game. One thing to note however is that if you are a Lakers, Nets, or NBA fan in general your primary focus should be on how the teams run their plays, hope there are no injuries and that this game is at least entertaining. Not that it will truly matter but as a fan of the game, you still want to see your favorite player or team at least play well.
